Toph's Last Stand
by pyrestarter
Summary: Why is Katara suddenly plagued with horrific visions when a stranger approaches her and Toph? Are these nightmarish nighttime scenes really predictions for the future? Or are they something far more terrible?


-1**Toph's Last Stand**

**©2007 by Jack Bushell**

"See, Toph, there's just nothing like taking a day for just us girls." Katara stretches her arms high above her head, contemplating the gorgeous day and the younger girl sitting at the outdoor table with her, Toph's face adorned with makeup for what may be the first time in her life.

"The nice thing about being blind is that I don't really even worry about my appearance."

"But it _is _nice and we're able to spend some time together without the boys for a change."

"I just don't understand why those girls had to say anything about my face."

"Toph, are you still upset about _that_? C'mon, we showed them who the better women were." Katara sips her tea, smiling inwardly and remembering how she sent the three girls downriver earlier that afternoon.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny," Toph giggles, bringing her own cup to her lips.

"Excuse me."

A young man approaches the table, interrupting the two girls. Katara gazes at the boy, who looks about fourteen or so but whose eyes seemed well beyond his years. His long brown hair flowing freely to his shoulders only brushes upon his green tunic, which looks weary from travel. Her blue eyes meet his green and she suddenly feels as if there is something about this boy familiar. A strong sense of familiarity, in fact, but she can't quite place her finger on it.

"Yes?" Katara sets her teacup down gently, glancing quickly at Toph for her reaction to the stranger but seeing none.

"I'm very sorry to disturb you both but I just had no choice."

"What seems to be the problem?"

The young man kneels next to the table between the two girls' chairs and very softly places his hand over Toph's, gazing into her unseeing eyes. Speechless, Katara helplessly watches.

"Young lady, I am forced by my own nature to approach you and I must apologize for this but you must know…" He hesitates, bowing his head as Toph turns her face towards him questioningly. "You are undoubtedly the most beautiful girl I have ever in my life laid eyes on."

Katara's mouth drops open as the boy stands again, taking his hand from Toph's, who bows her blushing face so as to try to hide her embarrassment.

"Please excuse me, I shall go…"

"LIAR!" Toph glares up at the young man as she screams the single word. There is no time for him to respond or for Katara to stop what happens next. Indeed, there is not even time for others in the outdoor café of the middle ring to even look to see what the commotion is all about. In one swift movement fueled by a rage unknown, Toph stomps her foot in front of the boy and sends him flying over the café's wall to land on the other side.

"TOPH!" Katara sits up with a jolt.

It's dark still. A bit chilly. She wraps her arms around herself feeling the clammy skin and sweat that could only be the result of such a nightmare.

What was that all about? She wonders to herself and plays the dream over and over in her mind, shuddering at the sheer realism, feeling as if she were really living the moment. She looks around the darkened room of their temporary home here in Ba Sing Se and suddenly feels quite alone, even though she knows that Sokka and Aang are in their own room right next to hers. She pulls her robes on and steps out into the hall, quietly walking to Toph's room and pulling the door open a bit. Sympathy tugs at her heartstrings as she looks upon the girl laying there. Toph, always covered in dust or dirt, always a mess, always so crude. She has been trained in the ways of higher society yet seems to enjoy being who she is. But…maybe a day together for just us wouldn't be such a bad idea, Katara thinks to herself smiling.

Later, with the sun shining brightly through the windows, Katara stands before the mirror tying her hair back, watching on as Aang shaves his head and Sokka sheers off the tiny little hairs under his nose that may or may not pass as a mustache. Momo squeaks appreciatively in the background wondering what all the fuss is about over the mirror and suddenly Katara realizes that somebody's missing. She slides open Toph's door again to find her laying there, still covered with dirt, still a mess, and still sleeping. She opens the door the rest of the way, letting the morning sun wash over her younger friend's body.

"Toph! Aren't you going to get ready for the day?"

The bleary eyed girl slowly sits up, her lanky hair loose upon the world and flying everywhere, and spits across the room quite obnoxiously. Standing up and brushing a load of dust off of herself she replies, "I'm ready."

"You're not gonna wash up? You've got a little dirt on you're…umm…everywhere actually."

"You call it dirt," Toph answers, smiling proudly at Katara, "I call it a healthy coating of earth." She slaps her chest.

"Hmmm…" Katara ponders the young girl for a moment. "You know what we need? A girls day out!" She excitedly smiles at Toph whose hair and shoulders slump together.

"Do I have to?"

"It'll be fun!"

Toph has a feeling this is one battle she won't win and so turns to dress instead of arguing with Katara.

Soon the girls find themselves in front of a grand building within the middle ring of Ba Sing Se.

"The Fancy Lady Day Spa did you say?" Toph lowers her head even further and says very sarcastically, "Sounds like my kind of place."

"Are you ready for some serious pampering?" Katara says, taking Toph's hand into her own.

"Sure, Katara," she mumbles depressingly, "whatever you say." And then as an afterthought, "As long as they don't touch my feet."

Everything went fine for awhile. The girls really were pampered more than either have ever been. Freshly bathed and manicured and with pedicures, the two girls lay back to relax in a soothing hot mud bath. Toph has some obnoxious fun with one of the attendants, scaring the wits out of the poor woman through her mud facial, but soon both girls were sleeping soundly. And dreaming.

"TOPH!" Katara quickly jumped from her seat as her young friend composed herself quietly. "What did you do?!"

"He…he…" She lowers her head even further. Staring at nothing with sightless eyes.

Suddenly a riotous ruckus begins from behind the wall that the young man was flung over. Both girls walk out into the street to see what the matter is and the sight they see is much too horrible to comprehend.

A gang of street thugs, all big and burly and about ten total, are pummeling the young man Toph had recently disposed of. He is lying helplessly on the ground as his attackers slowly and brutally work on destroying his body.

"Oh no! Toph!"

"What's happening, Katara?" She clutches her friend's arm, slowly understanding that she had thrown the good looking boy right into the middle of these men and he was now dying because of her actions.

Very quickly Toph stamps her feet and pushes out with her arms, bending earth from the street and using it to lift the boy away from any more harm while Katara attacks the attackers with her water whip. The gang turns their attention on the two girls and begin to advance when another group of men, very official looking men, come between them.

"What's going on down here?" One of the official looking men asks.

"Nuthin'," The biggest thug replies, spitting on the street.

"Sir, these men were attacking that boy!" Katara points upwards to the top of the pillar of earth that Toph had created.

"Is this true?" The man demands of the thug.

"No, sir, we was trying to help that boy. Some other men jumped the poor lad."

"Uh-huh…" The official looks disapprovingly at the gang of men.

"We woont do nothing to git ourselves in trouble with the Dai-Li, sir, honest."

"Well, at least you know your place. Move along."

"What?!" Katara, shocked, confronts the Dai-Li officer. "You know they did it!"

"To tell you the truth ma'am, things like this tend to get overlooked down here. Things like this just sometime happen." The officer spits on the street much like the thug did and Katara wonders if the only difference between the Dai-Li and the street gangs is the clothing they wear.

"What about him?!" she demands.

"Looks like he might need some help, don't it?"

As Toph lowers the broken boy to street level, Katara decides he is now their responsibility since it is probably their fault that he was hurt in the first place.

"Holy!"

Mud splashes over the tub and onto the floor as Katara jumps out of her relaxing slumber. Toph jumps up, dazed with mud falling from her bare skin.

"What? What's the matter?" she yells with raised fists, cucumbers that once covered her eyes now sliding down her cheeks.

"No…nothing, Toph…just a dream…" Katara slips out of the tub, toweling the mud from her. "They seem so real."

"They?"

"My dreams." Katara quickly decides not to share her visions with Toph, even though she feels they are a bit more than just dreams.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," A newly made up Toph says cheerfully as the two friends leave the spa. "I'm not usually into that stuff but I actually feel…girly."

"I'm glad. It's about time we did something fun together." Katara takes her hand and together they walk down the street.

Not long they begin to walk across a bridge over the river that cuts across Ba Sing Se, passing three girls who are assuredly of higher society.

"Wow," says one girl at Toph sarcastically teasing her. "Great make-up!"

"Thanks," she replies as they pass each other at the top of the bridge.

"Great make-up alright," the snobby girl repeats viciously as she turns around, "for a clown!"

All three girls begin to laugh hysterically and Toph just hangs her head in shame.

"Don't listen to them," Katara takes the her friend by the shoulders, glaring back at the other girls, "let's just keep walking."

"I think she looks cute," another one of the girls says to her snobby friend, "like that time we put a sweater on your pet poodle-monkey!"

The three girls laugh heartily once again at Toph's expense.

"Good one, Star!"

"Let's go, Toph." Katara begins walking again when Toph pulls away from her.

"No, no, that _was_ a good one!" Toph turns around to face the girls with a great grin upon her face. "Like your poodle-monkey! Ha!" Toph laughs until tears well in her eyes. "You know what else is a good one?"

Toph stomps her foot hard down on the cobblestone bridge sending a wave of energy up to the top and creating a massive opening under the feet of the three high society snobs, plunging them screaming down into the river below.

Katara looks down at them sitting in the water. "Now _that_ was funny!" She bends the river water, sending the three girls rushing down the canal.

"See, Toph, there's just nothing like taking a day for just us girls." Katara stretches her arms high above her head, contemplating the gorgeous day and the younger girl sitting at the outdoor table with her, Toph's face adorned with makeup for what may be the first time in her life.

"The nice thing about being blind is that I don't really even worry about my appearance."

"But it _is _nice and we're able to spend some time together without the boys for a change." Katara shivers as a sense of déjà vu settles into her.

"I just don't understand why those girls had to say anything about my face."

"Toph, are you still upset about _that_? C'mon, we showed them who the better women were." Katara sipps her tea, smiling inwardly and remembering how she sent the three girls downriver earlier that afternoon.

"Yeah, it was pretty funny," Toph giggles, bringing her own cup to her lips.

"Excuse me."

A young man approaches the table, interrupting the two girls. Katara gazes at the boy, quickly remembering her dreams and feeling an uncertain sense of dread.

"Yes?" Katara sets her teacup down with a shaking hand, glancing quickly at Toph for her reaction to the stranger but seeing none.

"I'm very sorry to disturb you both but I just had no choice."

Speechless as her day is playing out exactly like her dreams, Katara sits helplessly and watches.

The young man kneels next to the table between the two girls' chairs and very softly places his hand over Toph's, gazing into her unseeing eyes. Speechless, Katara helplessly watches.

"Young lady, I am forced by my own nature to approach you and I must apologize for this but you must know…" He hesitates, bowing his head as Toph turns her face towards him questioningly. "You are undoubtedly the most beautiful girl I have ever in my life laid eyes on."

Katara's mouth drops open as the boy stands again, taking his hand from Toph's, who bows her blushing face so as to try to hide her embarrassment.

"Please excuse me, I shall go…"

"LIAR!" Toph glares up at the young man as she screams the single word. There is no time for him to respond or for Katara to stop what happens next. Indeed, there is not even time for others in the outdoor café of the middle ring to even look to see what the commotion is all about. In one swift movement fueled by a rage unknown, Toph stomps her foot in front of the boy and sends him flying over the café's wall to land on the other side.

"TOPH! NO!" Katara quickly jumps from her seat as her young friend composes herself quietly. "What have you done?!"

"He…but he…" She lowers her head even further. Staring at nothing with sightless eyes.

Suddenly a riotous ruckus begins from behind the wall that the young man was flung over. Both girls walk out into the street to see what Katara already knew and the sight they saw was much too horrible to comprehend.

A gang of street thugs, all big and burly and about ten total, are pummeling the young man Toph had recently disposed of. He is lying helplessly on the ground as his attackers slowly and brutally work on destroying his body.

"Oh no! Toph!"

"What's happening, Katara?" She clutches her friend's arm, slowly understanding that she had thrown the good looking boy right into the middle of these men and he was now dying because of her actions.

Very quickly Toph stamps her feet and pushes out with her arms, bending earth from the street and using it to lift the boy away from any more harm while Katara attacks the attackers with her water whip. The gang turns their attention on the two girls and began to advance when another group of men, very official looking men, came between them.

"What's going on down here?" One of the official looking men asks.

"Nuthin'," The biggest thug replies, spitting on the street.

"Sir, these men were attacking that boy!" Katara points upwards to the top of the pillar of earth that Toph had created.

"Is this true?" The man demands of the thug.

"No, sir, we was trying to help that boy. Some other men jumped the poor lad."

"Uh-huh…" The official looks disapprovingly at the gang of men.

"We woont do nothing to git ourselves in trouble with the Dai-Li, sir, honest."

"Well, at least you know your place. Move along."

"What?!" Katara, shocked, confronts the Dai-Li officer. "You know they did it!"

"To tell you the truth ma'am, things like this tend to get overlooked down here. Things like this just sometime happen." The officer spits on the street much like the thug did and Katara wonders if the only difference between the Dai-Li and the street gangs is the clothing they wear.

"What about him?!" she demands.

"Looks like he might need some help, don't it?"

As Toph lowers the broken boy to street level, Katara, shaking horribly and feeling very ill, decides he is now their responsibility since it is undoubtedly their fault that he was hurt in the first place.

"How is he?" Aang looks up as Katara walks out of her room wringing her hands together.

"Amazingly, he'll pull through."

"How bad off is he?" Sokka hands a pillow for his sister to sit on.

"Well, I've healed him up as much as I could. His body took an awful lot of damage but from what we were watching he should be a lot more hurt than what he is. Strange."

"Do you know who he is?"

"Not exactly, but…" Katara explains to Aang and Sokka about the dreams she's been having and of what had transpired with the young nameless boy before he was beaten.

"Wow." Aang leans back and stares up at the ceiling. "What got into Toph?"

"I…I'm not sure."

"Where is she anyways?" Sokka stands up and stretches.

"She left awhile ago, guys. She's been feeling pretty badly about what's happened.

"That's not like her either." Aang stands up and retrieves his glider from the corner. "I'll go and look for her."

"No, Aang." Katara gently grabs the boy by the arm. "Leave her. I have a feeling she's got some stuff to work out on her own. She'll be back."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Toph comes through the wide doorway hanging on the young man's arm adoringly gazing upwards, looking into his bruised face with blank eyes but with a look on her face that speaks volumes to Katara.

"Hi! I was worried about you two!"

"Katara?" The young girl bows her head low and kneels onto the floor at the feet of her older friend.

"Toph? What's wrong?"

"I know we are supposed to leave for Chameleon Bay tomorrow…but…but…"

"Toph?"

"Can we catch up with you guys once he's up to the trip?"

"Umm…sweetheart, I don't know if we can afford to bring anybody more along on our…ummm…adventures."

A single tear rolls down Toph's cheek. She knows that Katara is right and she knows that her destiny lies with her and Sokka and the Avatar but she is so torn over the choice of leaving and leaving behind something she's never had before and probably never will again. She fights the rage welling up within her.

"Um…it's okay, Katara." Aang speaks up from behind them, looking a bit bashful. Sokka is behind him wielding what looks like a turkey leg.

"Yeah, sis, it's fine…but Toph's right…he needs a few more days of rest but I don't see a problem with…"

"No." Katara cuts her brother off. It's her turn to be filled with rage. Don't they understand? Didn't they listen to her at all. There's something that's just not right here.

"But…"

"NO!"

"Mmm…what's wrong, Katara?" Toph sits up and rubs her face in her hands. It's dark and she feels it but that doesn't bother her; to her, it's always dark. "You woke me up with your screaming. Did you have another dream?"

"Yeah, it's okay, go back to sleep." Katara rolls over, pulling the covers over her head knowing that a stranger sleeps not far from her in another room of the house.

Toph lays down knowing that it's not okay like Katara had said. She can hear the girls tears rolling down her face and wonders why.

It's late afternoon when he finally awakens. Bruised and battered and moving rather slowly, the handsome boy slowly stumbles out of his room.

Aang, Sokka, and Katara are sitting on the floor discussing their trip to Chameleon Bay on the morrow when the boy falls out of the hall. Sokka quickly helps him up and props him comfortably on the wall.

"Thank you."

"I'm Sokka. This is Aang and my sister Katara. You were in a pretty nasty fight and have been out of it for a day or so."

"How are you feeling now?" Aang takes the boy a cup of tea which the lad gingerly sips.

"Sore. Very. Thank you all. I…uh…don't know my name." He looks around and sees three surprised faces. "But I met and old wise man here in the city that called me Lei, so I suppose you could call me that as well." More confusion now than surprise on those faces. "Lei, I think, because he found me outdoors in a horrible thunderstorm. I explained to him I am suffering a terrible memory loss."

"Ohhh…" They all three said in unison.

"I have know idea who I am or what I'm supposed to be doing. I guess I've been this way for quite awhile. The old man told me that perhaps it was the universe's way of telling me to start over…and then he named me Lei and gave me some money and sent me on my way."

"You don't know…"

"You have no idea…"

"No memory? None?"

"I'm so sorry, no."

"Well," Katara said, "I guess that's nothing to be sorry for. More importantly, what will you do now? What have you been doing?"

"I suppose I was searching for myself, but I was enlightened in a way by that old man and now I only search for a new beginning. If that makes any sense."

"Actually," Aang says, "it does."

"Come on, Aang," Sokka says as he takes the boy by the arm, "Let's go feed Appa."

"Alright! Nice to meet you, Lei!"

"Nice to meet you too, Aang! Sokka! Ouch!"

"You need to take it easy, Lei. You're still pretty beat up.

"Yah…this is not good," he says as he runs his palm along the soft bruise on his cheekbone. "Feels like a couple of ribs have broken. Who was I fighting?"

"Do you remember talking with me and my friend at the little café yesterday?" Katara takes his cup and refills it gingerly, hesitantly, cautiously wondering who this young man really is.

"I do, yes. Your friend…I upset her very badly."

"Yeah, well, Toph isn't the kind of person you say things to outright like you did."

"Toph…" The boy says the name slowly, rolling it delicately from his mouth, as he were tasting a delicacy.

Katara sits and watches Lei do this, her mind torn between the uneasy feeling that her dreams were visions warning her of this boy and the simple innocence of the young man sitting in front of her. Lei simply looks back at her and smiles.

"I really should apologize to…Toph. I truly didn't mean to insult her…umm…Katara."

"It's not like you insulted her…" Katara shakes her head, trying to get back to what she had been saying. "You surprised her more than anything I think. I'm not sure why but you hurt her." She takes a sip of tea and puts her cup down.

"Oh no, I surely didn't mean…"

"She struck out at you. Do you remember that?"

"I do…I think. I mean, one minute I was standing there with you and the next I…I think I remember flying through the air…but that can't be right, can it?" Lei looks confused.

"Oh yeah, you went flying alright. Toph's an earth bender, you know."

"I'm sorry, a what?"

"A…never mind. Do you remember anything after that?"

"No."

Katara fills Lei in with the rest of the story and how poorly Toph has been feeling since, guilt ridden that she had a hand in almost killing a person that was only being nice to her.

"You _were_just trying to be nice to her, weren't you?"

"Ah, geez. I had to say _something_ to her."

"Why, Lei? What did you hope to gain from it?" What are your intentions with Toph? was what she was really thinking. Maybe it's the war or maybe it's the constant running and feeling hunted that's made Katara so paranoid, but the bottom line is that she has dreamed everything that's happened so far and that is just not a coincidence. There is definitely more going on here than meets the eye.

"Please, try to understand. I know it was wrong of me but…" Lei feels the uneasy look Katara now gives him and struggles to his feet. "Thank you for your kindness towards me, Katara. I will leave now."

"You're not well enough to leave."

"Listen, you don't have to feel responsible for me. I'll be fine."

"And you have nowhere to go." She wants him to leave more than anything but it just isn't right to send such an injured boy off knowing he will be sleeping in the gutter. "It's almost evening. At least stay the night."

"No. Thank you. For some reason I make you uncomfortable and that's simply not something I want. Thank you again."

Without another word between them, Lei bows and staggers out the door and into the evening. Katara breathes a sigh of relief over her guilty heart.

He sees her sitting alone on the top of a bridge, hanging her feet over the side with her arms through the side rails. She is gently swinging her bare feet and gazing off into nothing. The sun high above is thinking about sleeping and he's awfully tired himself but he decides maybe he'll go and see her.

Quietly he walks next to her and even before he is close he notices her notice him but she remains still, not even turning her head to acknowledge him. Lei slips his shoes off and, grimacing in pain, sits beside her, hanging his own bare feet over the bridge. She is a very pretty girl. Absolutely lovely, he thinks. Small, yet very strong he knows. Her black hair tied back behind her pale and dirty face. He sees lines through the dirt on her cheeks where teardrops have fallen recently and feels a pang in his heart. She begins to get up.

"Please," Lei quietly begs, "don't go."

Toph sits back down and begins swaying her feet once again. The two sit together like this for a long while, feeling the sun setting slowly in the evening sky.

"I've never had to say I'm sorry before," she finally mutters.

He thinks for a moment and then answers her, "You don't have to now, you know."

"But why did you…"

"I didn't mean to hurt you, Toph. I didn't mean to make you so angry."

"You didn't hurt me."

Silence again. They sit in the falling light listening to the steady beat of the river below.

"Why are you here?"

She seems mad but he only shrugs it off, not responding to her question.

"Why would you say such a thing to me?" She begins to feel rage again, although she doesn't understand why, but she's so tired she just waves it to the back of her mind, giving up struggling with emotions she can't possibly understand.

"Honestly, I don't know. I was just walking by minding my own business when I say you and Katara. It was her blue robes which caught my eye…they seemed…out of place. Everybody here seems to wear green." Lei chuckles. "Then I saw you."

"Yeah, so?"

"So. So." Lei begins to sway his feet in time with Toph's and can't help but grin to himself. "So I thought to myself, _there_, right there is the reason I've come to find myself here."

"What do you mean? Can't you just say what you mean?"

"I'm sorry. I'm trying to choose what I say very carefully."

Toph laughs at this. "So you don't go flying into the water?"

"Well, no. So I don't look like an idiot to you. Well, anymore than I already do."

The two sit awhile longer before speaking again.

"You don't look like an idiot to me. I just don't understand you."

"I meant what I said, you know."

"I know. I just don't know why."

"It's like making a wish, I guess. You hope from the bottom of your heart that it will come true but you know in the depths of your soul that it won't."

"That doesn't even make sense," she laughs.

"Okay, how about this: I had just saw the most beautiful girl in the whole world and I had to say _something _to her because if I just passed her by I would have never forgiven myself."

Even in the waning light, Lei saw Toph's cheeks glowing red before she bowed her head away from him.

"You're nuts."

"Maybe I am." He sighs heavily and pats her on the head. "But it's been a lucky day for me and I'm happy. Not only did I speak to the most gorgeous girl in the world but I got to spend some quality time with her as well."

"Real lucky. You almost died." She hangs her head shamefully.

"But it was worth it, look what came from it."

"You really are nuts, aren't you?"

"Hmmm…maybe. But listen, don't feel bad for me because I don't. Everything happened for a reason. I got to meet a terrific girl and her wonderful friends." Lei gets up and slips his shoes back on.

"Wait! Where are you going?"

"Well, I figure I've said what I had to say. I made my wish and it came true…don't wanna push my luck, you know?" He chuckles and begins to walk into the darkness.

"Please!" She turns to him and feels him stop, feels his surprise. "Don't go."

Toph comes through the wide doorway hanging on the young man's arm adoringly gazing upwards, looking into his bruised face with blank eyes but with a look on her face that speaks volumes to Katara.

"Hi! I was worried about you two!" She stumbles backwards, holding onto her head, remembering last night's dream in full intensity.

"Katara?" The young girl bows her head low and kneels onto the floor at the feet of her older friend.

"Toph? What's wrong?" But she already knows.

"I know we are supposed to leave for Chameleon Bay tomorrow…but…but…"

"Toph?"

"Can we catch up with you guys once he's up to the trip?"

"Umm…sweetheart, I don't know if we can afford to bring anybody more along on our…ummm…adventures." This is crazy! Katara thinks. It's like I'm reading from a book! I've done this all before and I can't help but do it again! What's going on here???

A single tear rolls down Toph's cheek. She knows that Katara is right and she knows that her destiny lies with her and Sokka and the Avatar but she is so torn over the choice of leaving and leaving behind something she's never had before and probably never will again. She fights the rage welling up within her.

"Um…it's okay, Katara." Aang speaks up from behind them, looking a bit bashful. Sokka is behind him wielding what looks like a turkey leg.

"Yeah, sis, it's fine…but Toph's right…he needs a few more days of rest but I don't see a problem with…"

"No." Katara cuts her brother off. It's her turn to be filled with rage. Don't they understand? Didn't they listen to her at all. There's something that's just not right here.

"But…"

"NO!"

"It's okay, Katara. I understand." Toph bows her head low. "Can he at least stay one more night?"

"Katara! _Katara_!"

"Hmmm…mmmm…what? What's the matter, Toph?"

"Wake up!" The young girl whispers.

"Why? What's the matter?"

"You were dreaming again!"

"I…I was?"

"You kept saying over and over 'I can see I can see'. Woke me up."

"Sorry, Toph, I…" In a painfully blinding flash Katara's dream comes back to her, spreading itself wildly through her mind in a heartbeat, sending her reeling.

A bright and warm day. Toph and Lei standing together in the middle of a field of flowers. A light breeze plays with her hair as she looks into the young man's eyes, his hands gently holding her own, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face.

"I…I can see you…" Her breath comes in heavy sobs as the weight of a lifetime of darkness is lifted from her. "I…I can see. I can see, Lei! _I can see_! _I can see_!" She leaps into his arms laughing.

"Ugh!" Katara falls violently back onto the floor.

"Katara! Are you okay?"

She looks up at Toph and finally understands.

"Are you sure this is okay, Katara?" Toph stands in the doorway with Lei, seeing Aang, Sokka, and Katara off as they leave for Chameleon Bay.

"Yes, Toph," She smiles, giving Lei a knowing look. "You're in good hands." She closes the door behind her.

"I don't understand," Sokka says as they walk to the barn Appa's been staying in, "You were so determined not to leave her here last night but…"

"I don't think the visions I've been having are a warning of some terrible event," Katara smiles as she watches the boys walk in front of her, "but of something very good about to happen." She thinks back on her dream of Toph being able to see and smiles even more. She doesn't understand how it will happen, but she just _knows _that it will.

"Bending is a great skill. Some people have that skill, some don't, some have it and don't use it while others still not only have it but master it." Toph stomps her foot to the ground, lifting a boulder high into the air and then sends it flying across the empty field.

"That's amazing!" Lei claps his hands together. "Like magic!"

"Well, no. Each of the four nations have people that can bend the different four elements and there are variations to each bending element."

"I don't understand, Toph."

"I'm an earth bender but there are earth benders that can only bend sand, maybe because that's all they know…like desert nomads."

"I see. Sand benders?"

"Bingo! We've met some of those."

The two stroll through the field together.

"And…are you an earth bending master?"

"Yes, I'm the world's greatest earth bender!" She pounds her chest proudly.

"And so modest too." Lei laughs. "And the others? In your group?"

"Oh. Well, lessee…Katara is a water bending master, her brother Sokka isn't a bender at all. Shame really."

"And Aang?"

"Aang is a master air bender. In fact, Aang is the only air bender left. The fire nation hunted and killed all of the air nomads long ago."

"Why did they do that?"

"Because they knew that the new Avatar was to be born into the air nomads and the danger that would be to their plans for war."

"Avatar?"

"The Avatar is the only one who is master over all four elements. The only one, we hope, that can put an end to this war."

"And Aang is this Avatar?"

"Yup. Katara and I are his teachers. He's pretty good. He still needs a fire bending master though." She stops for a moment thinking. "Don't know how we're supposed to manage that."

"Fascinating."

"You want to come with us?"

"What?"

"Why don't you join us, Lei? We could always use another hand and I think Katara's over her weirdness."

"Well…I don't see why not."

The two walk out of the field and onto a grassy hill.

Throughout the wonderful day, Toph and Lei become fast friends and though they had only really met the day before, by the time they arrive back at their house they feel as if they have known each other forever.

After a light meal and fond goodnights, Toph stands on her tiptoes to kiss Lei on the cheek and closes the door to her own room.

Laying in the dark, Lei can't help but smile and think back on the wise old man he had met a few days earlier. He remembers receiving a cup of the best tea he had ever had and a spot of advice that was even better. 'You are too worried about who you have been, young man. Seems like it's time now to worry about who you will become. If who you used to be needs you, he knows where to look.' And Lei understands this now more than ever.

He is sound asleep when the door to his room opens and he doesn't stir at all as the pitter patter of feet softly walk next to his prone form on the floor. Quietly Toph lays next to the boy, curling up closely for comfort.

She's in the field. She's standing, but barely. The wind is blowing her hair and seems to be blowing her over a bit. Her eyes are glazed and cuts cover her face. She's bruised and bleeding everywhere. Toph's been crying and even now, trying desperately to stay standing, she is sobbing heavily. Her clothing is tattered and she's missing a couple of fingernails. Blood mats her hair and is seeping fast from her tunic. She's dying. She's dying fast. Fire shoots from seemingly all around her and she begins to scream with a scream not ever heard from her before. It's a scream of terror. The shadow of Lei looms large over her now frail body and she sobs harder. He raises his arms and she becomes engulfed in flames.

"Tophhhhhhhhh!" Katara screams, jolting upright from her bed aboard her father's ship. She begins crying uncontrollably and runs desperately out of the room, to be caught in Sokka's arms.

"Katara! What's wrong!"

Aang joins them from the room over, wiping sleep from his eyes.

"It's Toph! We have to help her! _We have to help her!_"

"Katara, what is it?" Aang is already pulling his shirt on and grabbing his glider.

"It's Lei, Aang! He…he's going to kill Toph! He's _fire nation!_"

"Let's go!" Sokka grabs her by the hand and the three of them race to Appa.

Toph and Lei stand in the middle of a field of flowers under the warm morning sun.

"Wow."

"What, Lei?"

"This is so beautiful."

Toph bows her head, hiding her eyes. Lei notices and smiles, patting her head softly.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you are."

"I think you may be as _blind_ as I am."

"Ha! I love your sense of humor, Toph. And I think that…"

"What?" She looks up at him with empty eyes.

"I think that I'm…"

"What?" She punches him in the arm.

Picking a daisy, Lei places it under her nose. She inhales and smiles wide, closing her eyes.

"I think I've fallen in love with you, Toph."

The girl doesn't say a word but far beneath her she feels her heart skip a beat.

"I want to show you something."

"What is it?"

"I want you to see my face."

"You know, sometimes you say the wrong things." She becomes a bit irritated with him and drops the flower.

"I know that you can 'see' through earth bending…"

"But not faces, dummy!" She feels her face getting hot. "I'm still blind, you know!"

"I can show you." He takes her hands in his.

"What? How?"

"Toph, would you like to see what I look like?"

"Don't tease me, it makes me mad!"

"I'm serious." He gently kisses the girl who returns the kiss, surprised a little. "Do you want to see what I look like?"

"Yes, Lei. Yes, more than anything." Tears roll down her cheeks because she knows it just isn't possible. It can't be.

Lei takes her hands and gently places them on his face. Slowly he moves her hands over his features, letting her feel every bit.

"Now. When you see through your earth bending you see with vibrations. 'See' with your touch. Use your hands to put my face together. I have light skin. I know you don't understand colors but picture my skin 'soft'. My eyes are the same. They're green."

He takes his hands from Toph's and she runs her fingertips all around his face, slowly at first, and then more quickly, almost frantically. Looking down at her face, Lei sees that she is crying. She moves her hands from his face then to his neck and ears, through his hair, onto his shoulders. She begins sobbing as she runs her hands over his arms and chest, feeling every inch of him. Soon the fingers return to his face, touching once again every centimeter of every feature. She is smiling and crying openly.

"I…I can see you…" Her breath comes in heavy sobs as the weight of a lifetime of darkness is lifted from her. "I…I can see. I can see, Lei! _I can see_! _I can see_!" She leaps into his arms laughing.

"How much longer, Aang?!"

"Not too much longer, Katara, Appa's flying as fast as he can!" Aang yells back at her from the top of Appa's head as they soar along heading back towards Ba Sing Se.

"We have to hurry! We're not going to make it!" She can't stop the tears rolling from her eyes. "We're not going to make it…"

"That is really something special," Toph says, holding Lei's hand tighter as they walk out of the field and onto a grassy knoll.

"I'm glad you like it."

"I never realized I could 'see' like that. It opens up a whole new world." She pleasantly sighs, hugging herself to him. And, she thinks to herself, I think I've fallen in love with you.

"Hello!" A voice from a nearby wood calls out to them.

"Hello?" Lei calls back, shielding his eyes from the sun and making out the form of an older man who is quickly approaching them.

"Sorry to trouble you two kids but I seem to have lost my way!" The man strolls up to them, smiling happily. "My name is Pain, by the way."

"Pain?" Toph smiles up at the man. "What a strange…"

She's cut off as she is struck violently in the neck. Immediately following the initial blow and before Lei could even think about moving, Pain strikes Toph again in the torso and once more in the arm before jumping back away from them.

"Agh!!" Toph doubles over and immediately stomps her foot to the ground to retaliate…but nothing happens. "I can't bend!" Panic begins to take hold of her.

Jumping in front of her, Lei raises his fists. "Toph! Are there any more?!"

"I can't tell! I can't feel anything…I can't see anything…I can't bend at all!"

Lei quickly grabs hold of the man and takes him to the ground in a series of lightning quick kicks.

"Well, well, well…"

Toph immediately recognizes the voice as belonging to the leader of the gang of street thugs that beat up Lei. The panic that has seized her multiplies enormously so that she feels as if she may pass out or vomit or both.

"Lookee what we have here, boys. It's the _punk _from town. Looks like we need to finish what we started."

Lei counts seven more men follow the first out of the woods. All of them big, strong, and mean looking.

"Check it out boss, he's got his little girlfriend with him."

"That yer girlfriend, punk?"

"Leave her alone. She's got nothing to do with this." Lei pushes behind him and grabs Toph's tunic. "Run, Toph, run away quick!"

Toph starts running but as she cannot feel where she's going she quickly trips and one of the men grab her by the hair and yank her to her feet.

"We're gonna have some fun with yer girlfriend, you know that?"

"No! Let her go!"

"And we're gonna make you watch." The men all start laughing as Toph is dragged over to the vicious group of men.

In a flurry or flying limbs, Lei jumps into the middle of the gang screaming. In a matter of moments, three are laying on the ground and with a tireless rage, the small boy keeps pounding away. Toph, momentarily forgotten amidst the commotion, scurries away on all fours, finding shelter between two trees. It's not long, though, that the men overwhelm the smaller boy and begin to thrash his body horribly. Toph silently cries, her body jerking with fright every time she hears a punch or kick meet flesh, every time she hears a bone break, every time she hears Lei groan in pain. She prays they will forget her and leave. She prays they do not kill him.

"Is he dead, boss?"

"NO! We're not killing him. Not yet."

"Boss?"

"Didn't I say we were gonna make him watch us have some fun with his little girlfriend?"

Oh no. Toph begins shaking uncontrollably.

"Doesn't look like he's gonna be watching nothing with his eyes swolled shut like that."

"Shut up and go get her! She's sitting right over there!"

"No, please, please leave me alone!"

A man grabs her hair and yanks her out of the trees, pulling her through the dirt and tossing her on the ground.

"Can't earth bend anymore, can ya, twerp? How old are you?"

Don't answer. Just don't answer.

The man slaps her hard, her face swelling instantly.

"Tw…Twelve…"

"You know what you are without your earth bending, don'cha, little girl?"

He smacks her face again, searing the flesh with his nails and drawing blood.

"N…no…"

"You're just a twelve year old snot! That's what you are!" The men start laughing as Toph begins sobbing.

The man pulls a knife from his side and in a flash slips it under one of Toph's fingernails, ripping it from her finger. She screams. Another, from her other hand. She screams more, feeling as if she'll pass out, wishing he would kill her and knowing there's so much worse in store for her.

"Go see your boyfriend, bitch!" The man yells picking her small body up and throwing her on top of the unconscious Lei.

Toph grunts heavily, landing on something sharp that pierces her shoulder. She is oblivious to the warm blood running down her arm and yanks the knife out.

"Now that you know your place the _real _fun can begin!"

As the man turns her over, with all of her remaining strength, Toph thrusts the knife deep into his throat. He falls backwards grabbing at the wound and begins convulsing on the ground. The other men step back and slowly surround her as she stands in front of Lei wielding the small knife.

She's standing, but barely. The wind is blowing her hair and seems to be blowing her over a bit. Her eyes are glazed and cuts cover her face. She's bruised and bleeding everywhere. Toph's been crying and even now, trying desperately to stay standing, she is sobbing heavily. Her clothing is tattered and she's missing a couple of fingernails. Blood mats her hair and is seeping fast from her tunic. She's dying. She's dying fast. She begins to scream with a scream not ever heard from her before. It's a scream of terror. The shadow of Lei drifts under her feet as the sun wanes in the sky and she sobs harder, somehow sensing it and knowing it will be their last touch.

He loved me, she thinks. He really loved me. Nobody has ever loved me before. "_And nobody will again_!" she screams through the pain, flashing the knife wildly in front of the remaining men who look more amused than anything.

"Give me that!"

Somebody violently pulls the blade from her hand and shoves her to the ground.

"Now you're done."

Suddenly screams fill the air and Toph tries to calm her crying so she can hear what's happening. She thinks she hears a whooshing sound and knows she hears more punches and kicks and she feels…she feels…hot? Is there a fire?

"Are you okay?"

A man holds her close to him and she recognizes him, even through her suffering and pain she recognizes him as the old man from the forest. The man that gave her tea.

Toph can't respond but feels the man tying off her bleeding wounds and then taking her away.

"I…I can't bend…"

"Shush. It's an old nerve trick. It's only temporary."

As he carries her back through the field she clutches desperately at his beard. "L…L…Lei…"

"Shush. You need to conserve your energy. My nephew is taking your friend to someone who can help him. Don't worry." The man looks down at her face and sees that she's crying again. "Don't worry, young lady, you will definitely meet him again."

Toph tries to hold on to consciousness but cannot.

Six weeks later:

"You about ready, Toph?" Katara asks the young girl who is staring out the same doorway that she's been staring out for days now.

"Yeah. I'm ready to leave."

"I think we all are." Katara joins her friend and hugs her gently. "Are you okay?"

She quietly gazes out into the city, seeing farther with her blind eyes than any person that can see ever could. "He's out there…somewhere."

"I know."

"I love him."

"I know." Katara gives her a squeeze, feeling herself shed a tear. "You _could_ stay here, you know."

"No. My place is with you. Sokka told me once that everybody has a part to play in this war. Me too. But once this is all over…then I'll find him."

"And we'll help you look." Katara wipes her tear away and kisses Toph on the cheek. She turns to get the boys, leaving Toph staring out the doorway with nothing left but hope.


End file.
